Business in brief

Thursday

Jul 15, 2010 at 1:46 PM

WASHINGTON

The government said Wednesday it had not reached any conclusions about whether Toyota drivers may be to blame for their vehicles suddenly accelerating, a problem that has led to millions of recalled cars and trucks since last year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that its engineers were continuing to investigate the possible causes of sudden acceleration in Toyotas along with scientists and researchers with the National Academy of Scientists and NASA.

The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, reported Tuesday that the government had analyzed dozens of event data recorders, or black boxes, in Toyota vehicles involved in crashes blamed on unintended acceleration and found the throttles were open and the brakes were not engaged. That would suggest the drivers were stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brakes.

LOS ANGELES

A fight over programming fees has taken a new hostage: the season premiere of AMC’s “Mad Men” on July 25.

AT&T Inc. said Wednesday that Rainbow Media, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp., is playing hardball in fee negotiations over three channels: AMC, IFC and WE tv.

Their current agreement was set to expire at midnight Wednesday. If no deal is reached, Dallas-based AT&T said that Rainbow may pull its signals, leaving those channels dark for some 2.3 million of AT&T’s U-verse TV subscribers in 22 states such as California and Texas.

BRIEFLY ...

● SEATTLE — Market research group IDC said Wednesday that worldwide shipments of personal computers climbed 22.4 percent in the second quarter as businesses replaced aging computers and consumers continued to show interest in inexpensive laptops.

● NEW YORK — Novartis will pay up to $152.5 million to potentially thousands of women after a jury found it discriminated against them by paying them less than men, the pharmaceutical company and plaintiffs’ lawyers announced Wednesday after a deal was struck.

● PORTLAND, Ore. — Kellogg Co. said Wednesday that higher-than-normal amounts of certain chemicals in its package liners caused the unusual smell and flavor that prompted a recall of 28 million boxes of its cereal in late June. The food maker recalled Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks after about 20 people complained, including five who reported nausea and vomiting.

● WASHINGTON — Retail sales fell in June for the second straight month, more evidence that the recovery will slow in the second half of the year. Retail spending dropped 0.5 percent in June, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. That followed a 1.1 percent fall in May. Excluding autos, spending was down 0.1 percent in June.

● NEW YORK — Drugstore chain Walgreen Co. said Wednesday it is boosting its quarterly dividend by 27 percent to 17.5 cents from 13.75 cents as a sign of confidence in its growth and free cash flow. The Deerfield, Ill., company will now pay dividends of 70 cents each year, up from 55 cents. Based on about 973 million shares outstanding, the payout will cost Walgreen roughly $170 million annually.

● WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are reviewing the process by which company shareholders exercise their votes and said they may change the rules to make the system more transparent.

Compiled from wire reports

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.